Basketball On The Internet.

PATTY Mills found his stroke with 28 points as Australia turned up the defensive heat to beat FIBA's fourth-ranked international men's team Serbia 84-73 this morning in Abu Dhabi, despite turning the ball over 17 times but compensating with its harassment without the ball.

Again, precious little should be read into the result of an exhibition match in prep for the Olympic Games, especially when Australia did not play burgeoning NBA talent Duop Reath - who surely must be carrying an injury niggle - and Serbia did not suit Bogdan Bogdanovic, its No.2 scorer.

That aside, there was great promise and several positives in the contest, which the Boomers controlled for by far the greater part, Mills' return to form after two non-events against China and a reasonable dud against USA probably drawing the most comfort.

He opened hitting threes (4-of-7 on the night), went 54 per cent from the floor overall and was clinical from the free throw line with 10-of-11 makes.

Equally significantly, he dished a team-high five assists, stole the ball a couple of times and snatched two rebounds. Even more importantly, his team grew in confidence exponentially in direct proportion to his focus and flair.

It was a welcome and overdue return to his best at the same time as Josh Giddey's form - despite his 13 points, six rebounds, two assists, steal and block - retreated into far too much one-on-one adventuring.

It accounted for his game-high six turnovers and almost every time he drives and commits himself to the air smothered by defenders, his release pass is hit-or-miss.

Dante Exum was the player who was among the stand-outs against Serbia, as 15 points at 71 per cent, seven rebounds and four assists would indicate.

He was part of the quintet which ripped the game from Serbia's grasp in the last quarter but the seeds of that were sewn with 3:50 left in the third.

Decked while dribbling in the backcourt for a no-call which led to a Nikola Jokic dunk and 56-54 Serbian lead, the Aussie bench copped a technical foul arising from that incident,

It fired up the Boomers who, despite trailing 39-40 at halftime, were only even down then courtesy of an 8-1 Serbian run fuelled by some dreadful turnover errors.

Serbia enjoyed its last lead at 67-66 before Mills drove baseline and whipped a ball out to a waiting Dyson Daniels a long way out. But Daniels' 3-ball never looked anything but gold, Mills next hitting a jumper to build the lead to 71-67.

A Mills steal on which he was crudely fouled gave up an unsportsmanlike foul and Serbia was unravelling. Mills made both free throws, missed a three on the extra possession but snared the offensive rebound and found Nick Kay.

Despite finishing 1-of-7 from three, this one was the one Kay stuck and at 76-67 clear, Australia was looking excellent.

On the break, the ball was slapped out of Daniels hands but straight to a trailing Exum who threw down a dunk and it was 78-67.

It was interesting the five which secured the game did not include Giddey, though his late return did lead to a double-foul when he was unceremoniously manhandled and responded in kind.

Serbia's bigs were good but at times drew as many as four surrounding Boomers defenders, the Aussie hustle its most notable improvement.

Matthew Dellavedova may only have played four minutes but his three-quarter length outlet pass that led to an easy bucket was pinpoint, as was his only shot, the world's ugliest threeball. But hey, it was nothing but net. 

AUSTRALIA BOOMERS 84 (Mills 28, Exum 15, Giddey 13, Daniels 8; Exum 7 rebs; Mills 5 assts) d SERBIA 73 (Petrusev 17, Jokic 14, Milutinov, Avramovic 12; Jokic 14 rebs; Micic 8 assts) in Abu Dhabi.